1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holders, and more specifically to beverage container holders for use with food plates. More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage container holder that engages with a user's hand in a manner that permits one hand through the leverage design to simultaneously support a plate of food and the holder containing a beverage container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When dining, particularly in buffet or stand-up, party settings, a guest is often called upon to simultaneously hold both a plate and a beverage container. This may occur while in a buffet line obtaining food and beverages, or while moving about an event, mingling with other guests, while food is being served.
On such occasions that guest is not likely to have direct or consistent access to a table or counter for beverage placement in order to fill or eat from their plate. This situation makes it difficult for guests to enjoy the party or event while mingling with other guests without worrying about spilling their food, their beverage or both. Some guests resort to having another guest hold their beverage, or put it down at a “safe” location while eating and mingling, only to have trouble remembering where that “safe” place was when it comes time to take a drink.
Various cup-holders are known, for example, U.S. Letters Pat. No. 2,719,414 to Davis discloses a cup holding device that is detachably secured to a plate for use when eating away from a table. Although this device may work well in some instances, the plates on which it is used must be of sufficiently strong construction as will support the weight of the beverage-filled cup hanging from its side along with the weight of the food on the plate itself.
Most disposable paper and plastic plates are not strong enough to support this combined weight and therefore the Davis device would be useless in cases where these weaker types of disposable plates are provided for an event. In addition, the beverage container is solely supported by the ring holder, requiring the use of tapered beverage containers—precluding the use of glasses or most cans.
Attachment of the holder to the plate may also present some problems when it comes time to re-fill the container or to refill, dispose of, or exchange the plate when food service is complete. Additionally, construction of the device is potentially complicated and expensive with respect to the spring loaded connection member.
A patent to Boatwright (U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,170) discloses a combination plate and cup holding device that has a curved supporting member that is received by and held against an edge of the plate. A handle extends under a bottom surface of the plate, and may be gripped by the user to secure the supporting member against the plate.
The Boatwright device also depends upon the strength of the plate construction for some, if not all, of the success of the device. In addition, the Boatwright device does not provide flexibility with respect to changes in plate size—the supporting member defines a certain arc length and radius, and may not work well with larger or smaller plate sizes. Additionally, the Boatwright cup holder, like the previously noted Davis device, can only be used with tapered beverage containers, and not straight-sided glasses or cans. The construction of the device is also potentially complicated and expensive with respect to the curves and angles that must be constructed to adequately support the plate and cup.
Norris (U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,240) modifies disposable plates by adding handles to the bottom of the plates, permitting a person to hold the plates from the bottom while holding beverage containers with the same hand. This device requires either the modification of existing disposable plates or the manufacture of new disposable plates with the handles. The handles proposed to be added to the bottom of the plates are not adjustably sized to be flexible in relation to varying sizes of hands. The likelihood that the use of the newly modified plates will replace the use of common, familiar, and economical plates is very small which detracts from the feasibility of this device.
A need exists for a simple and economically feasible alternative to spilling or being forever on the hunt, by which a person can comfortably and securely simultaneously carry and use a plate, or other food container, and a beverage container, without dependence on locating a separate surface upon which to place their beverage container while eating from the plate.